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“A little bit of that,” he said after a few seconds. “I remember being a little boy and playing with our pet cat. He was this gorgeous shorthair white cat. His name was Snowball.”
“Snowball. That’s cute,” I repeated, not sure what to make of his story. “And?”
“And I remembered a lot of things about my past,” he said. “But the really disturbing part was, I saw myself as the Viper. I saw myself killing people, hurting innocent people. It was horrifying. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I didn’t choose this path. I just found myself there, and I don’t know why.”
“But you don’t care about hurting anyone now,” I said. “Right?”
“No, that’s not fair,” he said. “I hurt people because I have to. I don’t do it for fun, like he does.”
“So there’s no part of you that does this because it’s fun.”
“I’m not stupid, Sof,” he said. “I’m also a grown man. I do this because I want to, sure. Because it’s fun. But I also do it because I’m protecting my family and my way of life. If I didn’t take on this responsibility, I’d let them down.”
“So the world didn’t push you into doing terrible things?”
He shrugged. “Not exactly. This was my best option,” he said. “I’m surprised you don’t get that yet.”
I took a deep breath, trying to wrap my head around everything Victor was saying. “I think I get it. I just hate it.”
“I know,” he replied, his hand on my shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.”
Part of me was hoping he was wrong. But deep down, I knew he wasn’t.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Sofia
In the morning, just before it was time to get ready, I heard a knock on my door. Sleep had eluded me, my thoughts consumed by worry for my brother. He was still missing, and Jace hadn’t been able to determine the whereabouts of his phone, his car, anything.
It scared the shit out of me.
Of course, the thing that made the most sense was that he was down with my father…that he had been taken by my father.
The uncertainty about my brother’s well-being weighed heavily on me; he was the main reason I cared about everything that had happened. I certainly cared about the Blades, they had taken me in, Teo had been more than just a protector.
But at the end of the day, the person I was supposed to protect was my baby brother. At first, I had thought he was the reasonwe were in a world of shit in the first place, but after much tossing and turning, I realized the truth.
After some reflection, I realized it wasn’t my brother at fault; it was my dad. He had manipulated not only my brother but also very likely Archer Holden. Even serial killers didn’t seem to be immune to my father’s charms as the viper, and everyone needed money.
I gritted my teeth as I heard someone knock at my door.
The door creaked open, and Teo’s concerned eyes peeked inside.
“Hey, Sof,” he said softly, stepping into the room. “I just wanted to check in. How are you?”
I scoffed. “I’m fine. All things considered.”
He sighed, walking up to me so he could sit beside me on the bed. “You know I would do anything for you, right?”
“Oh no. I already know where this is going. I don’t think you should even try.”
“I have to,” he said, crossing his arms as he looked at me. “I think it’s best if I handle this situation with your father. It’s too dangerous for you to get involved.”
“This is my fight, Teo,” I said. “This is my family, my battle. I need to be the one to confront my father.”
“No way to talk you out of this, is there?”
I looked up at him, smiling. “You could try.”
“I won’t,” he said. “I don’t want to waste my time, sunshine. You’re stubborn as hell, but that’s one of the things I love about you. Just promise me you’ll be careful. And you’re going to listen to me no matter what. Deal?”
